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Food News

THIS SECTION IS FOR NEWS AND INTERESTING STORIES RELATED TO FOOD,
NUTRITION AND FOOD PROCESSING. THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO
KOSHER BUT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO THE KOSHER CONSUMER, MANUFACTURER OR
MASHGIACH.

An FDA study of almost 2,000 dairy farms found less that one percent of the total samples showed illegal drug resides.
FDA said 11 of the samples from the group with previous violations showed illegal levels of drug residue and four from the control group showed illegal residue. Flynn said the illegal drug residues found in the study were from unapproved drugs, so any level is illegal. The agency said the study was blind, so no violations would be reported.

The Hain Celestial Group has acquired the remaining 80% of EK Holdings and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Empire Kosher Poultry. The purchase price for the remaining approximately 80% of Empire was $57.6 million, which includes net debt that was repaid at closing. "In May 2010 Empire purchased Kosher Valley®, the first brand of certified kosher antibiotic-free, vegetarian fed and humanely raised all natural branded chicken and turkey products, from Hain Pure Protein Corporation ("HPPC") at which time HPPC received a 19% interest in Empire."

Spices can be contaminated by fraud or cross contamination. Spices come from a long supply chain with many opportunities for cross-contamiation or fraud. A British company had almond contamination in cumin and paprika and an American company had peanut contamination of cumin.

The following product safety alert is from the CPSC on February 24, 2015.

Sears Kenmore 24-inch electric ranges has been recalled because the heating element can fail to properly adhere to the cooktop, posing an electrical shock hazard to consumers.
This recall involves Sears Kenmore 24-inch wide freestanding electric ranges with model number 790.90152 with serial numbers from NF408 through NF424 and model number 790.90153 with serial numbers from NF408 through NF427. The ranges have smooth cooktops and are white or black with stainless steel accents. The model and serial numbers are located on the bottom right frame of the range inside the storage drawer.
Consumers should immediately stop using and unplug the recalled electric ranges and contact Sears to schedule a free inspection and repair if necessary.
Sold at Sears and Kmart stores nationwide from April 2014 through October 2014 for between $650 and $860.
Consumer Contact Sears toll-free at (888) 281-3915 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. CT Monday through Saturday, or between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. CT Sunday or online at www.sears.com and www.kmart.com and click on Product Recall for more information.

"Thousands of tonnes of fake and sub-standard food and drink have been seized in 47 countries around the world as part of an INTERPOL-Europol coordinated operation."
"Operation Opson IV, conducted during December 2014 and January 2015, resulted in the seizure of more than 2,500 tonnes of counterfeit and illicit food, including mozzarella, strawberries, eggs, cooking oil and dried fruit."
Operation Opson IV resulted in a number of arrests across the globe and investigations are continuing. Among the aims of the operation is to identify and disrupt the organized crime networks behind the trafficking in fake goods and enhance cooperation between the involved law enforcement and regulatory authorities."
"The operation also supported one of the main goals of INTERPOL’s Turn Back Crime global awareness campaign, which is to educate society about the ways in which organized crime infiltrates our daily lives. Through developing awareness, the campaign can assist the public in protecting themselves from potentially life-threatening products such as fake or sub-standard food and drink."

High cocoa been prices are causing chocolate makers to reduce bar sizes, increase prices or use cheaper ingredients such as vegetable oils in products.
"Chocolate companies (in North America and Europe) are more likely to increase retail prices and shrink sizes of chocolate bars, which has been the trend for the last year."
"However, in emerging markets where regulation is less robust and consumers are more price sensitive, like in Asia, this (using cheaper alternatives) could be a plausible option."

The following product safety alert is from the CPSC on February 3, 2015.

Mima Moon 3-in-1 High Chairs has been recalled because the high chair seat can loosen and dislodge, allowing the seat and child to fall. The chair can also fall onto a child crawling underneath the seat, posing an impact hazard to the child.

This recall includes Moon model 3-in-1 high chairs which adjust to a newborn, high and junior chair with a unique design consisting of a base with two feet supporting a single post that holds up the seat in a clear shell. The shell has a white inner seat with a removable seat pad in white, camel or black. The high chair measures about 3 feet tall when in its highest position. There is a “Mima” logo where the metal post attaches to the base to the seat. There is also a “Moon” logo on the inside of the feet that form the base of the high chair. The serial and model numbers are located on a sticker on the inside of one of the two feet that form the base of the high chair.

The firm has received 14 reports of the high chair seat loosening. No injuries have been reported.
Remedy
Consumers should stop using the high chair immediately and contact Mima to receive a free replacement upper chair section or instructions on receiving a refund.
The majority of the high chairs were given away at the May 9, 2014 taping of the Ellen DeGeneres television show. The remaining chairs were sold at children’s juvenile product stores in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Texas and Virginia from February 2014 through September 2014 for about $500.

Consumes can contact Mima at (800) 392-1206 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or online at www.mimakidsusa.com and click on “Moon Recall Information” for more information.

The following product safety alert is from the CPSC on February 3, 2015.

The PouchPop™ Topper has been recalled because the tube of the pouch topper that screws onto the food pouch can separate from the round base, posing a choking hazard to young children. The recalled PouchPops are silicone toppers that screw onto a baby food pouch that allow infants to feed themselves. The PouchPops were sold in a four-pack of four colors including green, orange, red and yellow and have a cylinder-shaped tube stem that attaches to a round base. The pouch toppers have a “SipP” logo and smiley face embossed on the circular base.
The firm has received four reports of breaks above the round base of the toppers. No injuries have been reported.
Remedy
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled PouchPop toppers and contact Performance Packaging for instructions on receiving a free replacement product or full refund. This product was sold exclusively at Online at www.Amazon.com, www.littlegreenpouch.com and www.jackbenatural.com from May through September 2014 for about $10.
Consumers can call Performance Packaging toll-free at (844) 560-7227 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT Monday through Friday or go to www.pouchpop.com and click on “PouchPop Product Recall” for more information.

The following product safety alert is from the CPSC on January 21, 2015.

Mean Green® Super Strength Cleaner & Degreaser and Mean Green® Industrial Strength Cleaner & Degreaser have been recalled because the products are labeled |Does not contain Ammonia." The products may contain ammonia. The mislabeling of the bottles can pose a chemical hazard to consumers. If ammonia is mixed with bleach or other household chemicals, irritating or toxic gases could be produced.
The recalled cleaning products came in white plastic spray bottles and white or green plastic containers. The words “Mean Green Super Strength Cleaner & Degreaser” or “Mean Green Industrial Strength Cleaner & Degreaser” are on a label on the front and the UPC number is on the back. The recall involves products with date codes 4225, 4226, 4227, 4228, 4229 and 4230. The date code is printed on the back of the bottle near the QR code. The recalled units include:

Size

UPC

Mean Green Super Strength Spray

20oz

720547001208

Mean Green Super Strength Spray

40oz

720547001406

Mean Green Super Strength

128oz

720547001017

Mean Green Industrial Strength

128oz

720547001024

Consumers who have a product with the UPC and date code should immediately discontinue use of the product and return it to the retailer for a replacement. Products were sold at Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Fred’s, Walmart and small retailers nationwide from August 2014 to November 2014 for between $1 and $8.
Consumers can contact CR Brands toll free at (866) 447-3369 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays or online at www.crbrandsinc.com and click on Safety Letters for more information.

"In the retail sector, sales of gluten-free foods posted an impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34% over the five-year period ended in 2014, when market sales reached $973 million, according to market research publisher Packaged Facts in the recently released report Gluten-Free Foods in the U.S., 5th Edition." The data indicate that more than a third of consumers had looked for the gluten-free/wheat free claim on consumer packaging."
"Driving the increased sales of gluten-free products are an escalating prevalence of health problems associated with diet; more and better-quality gluten-free food products and their increasing availability in mainstream retail channels; and favorable rulings on the definition of “gluten free” by the FDA. There is a slight drag on sales among consumers who are disappointed in the benefits derived from a gluten-free diet, although such disappointments are typically the result of misconceptions about gluten-free foods."
Despite the increase in demand, the leadership arena for gluten-free foods is still largely populated by specialty marketers, the vast majority of which compete in the Salty Snacks category. The diversified, multi-national conglomerates that otherwise dominate the food industry at large have only a limited presence in the gluten-free market, although that presence is clearly on the rise.